Thanks to donor support, the Library has opened a new family study space where users can go with their children to study. The enclosed space has been designed for users with children up to 12 years old in mind, to enable parents to work alongside their children.

There are toys, books and a range of furniture, including a comfortable chair so that the space can be used for those who would like a more discrete area for breastfeeding than in the main Library.

We are very grateful for the donor funding which has made this space possible and to the contribution from groups across campus especially the staff at the pre-school centre.

Donor funding has also contributed to an exciting new project initiated by the Library. Students at Lancaster University are playing a key role in recording ‘momentous memories’ from 50s and 60s music culture as part of an engagement project.

Thanks to National Lottery Players, Jukebox: emblem of youth in post-war Britain Project is a collaboration between Lancaster University Library and Mirador Arts Ltd to raise awareness of the impact of the Jukebox on the culture of teenagers in North West seaside towns in the 1950s and 1960s. The project focuses on collecting the memories of local people who experienced this culture first hand in Lancaster and Morecambe, as well as Blackpool and Lytham St Anne’s, where the first British juke boxes were manufactured.

Thanks to our donors, we have been able to offer additional support to students who will be working alongside the project team. We have provided bespoke training from the Oral History Society for the students, as well as the purchase of equipment to ensure the memories we capture will be preserved for future generations. The funding has ensured we can provide a skills development opportunity for the students while providing an opportunity to get to know a generation who experienced an exciting period of history. The funding has also been used to expand our connections with our local community to support the Library’s vision to connect, innovate, and include.

If you are interested in knowing more about the Jukebox project or have memories you would like to share contact Katie Waring, Special Collections & Archives Manager email: k.waring1@lancaster.ac.uk or call 01544 521796.